Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Purple Heart
Purple heart is a low, trailing groundcover grown for its deep purple leaves, with small pink flowers. It stays about a foot tall and spreads 2 to 4 feet, which makes it a bright accent for shaded entries, raised planters, pots and hanging baskets.
It does best in part shade with regular water in the warm months. Frost damages the leaves, but the roots are hardy to about 10°F and it regrows quickly as the weather warms.
Best for: shaded entries, raised planters, patio pots and hanging baskets, and small groundcover patches with color.
It grows best in part shade and handles full shade, so it brings color to a shaded entry or courtyard. Plant it 12 to 18 inches apart for a small patch.
Its trailing stems spill over pots, raised planters and hanging baskets. Keep potted plants watered through summer.
It stays about a foot tall and spreads wide, so it covers a small area. Trim it back when it spreads too far.
It burns on a west side and needs regular summer water. Frost damages the leaves, and leaf tips brown in salty or dry soil.
- Small groundcover patch12 in apart
- Looser planting18 in apart
Water it regularly through spring, summer and fall, and less in winter. Deep waterings help flush salts that brown the leaf tips.
Frost damages the leaves, but the roots survive to about 10°F. Trim off the damage in spring, and it grows back quickly.
Trim it back whenever it spreads too far or gets thin. Cutting it back also keeps it full.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is purple heart the same as sweet potato vine?
No. Purple heart is Tradescantia pallida, a trailing plant with purple leaves. Purple sweet potato vine is a different plant, so check the name when you buy.
Does purple heart need sun or shade?
It grows best in part shade. It tolerates full shade and east or south sun, but keep it off a west side.
How often should I water purple heart?
Water it regularly through the warm months, and less in winter. Dry soil browns the leaf tips.
What happens to purple heart in a frost?
Frost damages the leaves, but the roots are hardy to about 10°F and it regrows quickly as the weather warms. Trim off the damage in spring.
How big does purple heart get?
It grows about a foot tall and spreads 2 to 4 feet. Plant it 12 to 18 inches apart for a small groundcover patch.
Can I grow purple heart in a pot?
Yes. It suits pots, raised planters and hanging baskets, where the stems trail over the edge.
How do I keep purple heart from spreading?
Trim it back whenever it spreads past where you want it. It regrows fast from the trimmed stems.
Why are the leaf tips brown?
Brown tips usually mean salt buildup, often in soil kept too dry. Water deeply and regularly to flush the soil.
Purple Heart for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Purple heart adds deep purple color to shady spots and containers in the Valley. It is a low, trailing plant that recovers quickly from frost. This page covers sun, watering, frost, trimming and spacing.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Purple heart in Arizona
Purple heart is a low, trailing plant with deep purple leaves and small pink flowers. It brightens shady entries, planters and pots.
Purple heart vs purple sweet potato vine
These are two different plants. Purple heart is Tradescantia pallida; purple sweet potato vine is an Ipomoea.
Where to plant purple heart
It grows best in part shade. It takes full shade and east or south sun, but not a west side.
Watering purple heart
Water it regularly through the warm months. Deep watering flushes salts that brown the leaf tips.
Purple heart after frost
Frost damages the leaves, but the roots survive to about 10°F. Trim off the damage and it regrows in spring.
How far apart to plant purple heart
Plant it 12 to 18 inches apart for a small groundcover patch.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.